Worldbringer - Tales of Irrusorin
by StrikerStanding692
Summary: Josh Simmons, after having saved the world of Warlocks and Witches from being eradicated, realized a war was still inevitable. So from his world, he travels to the world of the witches in a different reality... What he discovers there, though different, would change even him...
1. Prologue

The year 2020. It was late that night. A mostly abandoned granary compound, with mostly leaves scattered on the ground just because it was the season of fall, was long unvisited until just very recently. Four wheels bringing six-hundred horses worth to what most say as a muscle car with its headslight on, was approaching the main compound's gates. The black car slows down for a bit, with its driver contemplating. The rusted gate was busted open, with the unprotected gates mostly still attached on the hinges of the entryway. With no delay, the car was driven forward, gently tapping the damaged gate open as it still hanged from the top hinges. The car proceeds into the compound and stopped right at the main building. It was a short drive in the area, since the other buildings except the rusting main granary building was the point of interest.

The driver having spikes for a hairdo while colored jet black, decided to browse for his pocket and bring out his wallet. Looking at the license card, he groans. Remembering his name was Josh Simmons with an age of 29, he also takes another thing to mind. '_Don't need this where I'm going._' He thought of this just before putting the wallet down on the passenger seat. "No coming back now."

As Josh dismounts from his modified Dodge Charger and closes the door, locking it behind him. Looking at the old granary that was mostly rusting and dimly lit up by the moonlight's rays, he raises his wrist to his face and with light and a small holographic image, he looked at a certain magical rune... one with ancient language and significance. He softly nods to himself before he walks forward and puts away the image from his wrist until he heard another vehicle from behind him and stopped walking. Turning to the main gate, he sees a black Mercedes sedan driving in casually just as he has. He cursed in a mutter before he started to walk back, past his car and just at the spot where the Mercedes has stopped, behind his vehicle. The lights were shining right at him.

"Not amused," Josh said. "You could have left it alone."

The driver of the Mercedes turned off the engine of his car and dismounts. He's revealed to be wearing a suit, complete with a black set of gloves and shoes. Like Josh, this man had black hair. The notable dark blue eyes were a reminder. Josh was looking at his father Troy Simmons now walking to him. "Well I couldn't really ignore what you've done just to get here." He spoke with a raspy voice since he's come with age in his 50's. "Listen to me. Nobody blames you or anyone else on that. Grant speaks the truth about the relations breaking down, and this is inevitable anyway."

"Warlocks and Witches were supposed to be allies, no matter differences were made between them in the past. Dad... I fail to see why it would be a waste for relations to die down. I'm not having that, since everyone else besides those with magic are right in the middle of this." Josh emphasized a few things while making gestures to make his point. "Those people who I've sacrificed my girlfriend for and the rest of my friends just to get our coven to trust us again, are still at large. They might pursue peace, but we can't wait for them to do anything, not until the war's ongoing or it's over. And by hell, it'll be too late."

"This is your conscience speaking?"

"Dad, it's always been my conscience ever since I took up that oath as a Warlock Protector!" Josh looked at his father Troy, showing sincerity through his eyes. "I've gotten this far of what I'm looking into. And if I'm right about this... we could have representatives from another world to put up a bridge for peace again... not just for political disputes, but for the sake of morals."

Troy slightly smiled before it faded just as quickly for his indifference. "Doesn't matter if the coven eventually expels you. You'll be an outsider and you won't have much to do."

"Can't beat the system, huh? I'd rather shake it up and bring results. Who says it isn't fun? Now... I better get to it and get to the other world. Now if you'll excuse me..." Josh said this as he walked back and turned around to walk towards the rusted granary.

"Wait," Troy called. Groaning in defeat, he walks to his son. "What do you know of the other world?"

Josh chuckled and looked back to his father. "Well..." He then turned towards the granary and invokes a silent spell to let him see in darkness. He acknowledges his father would follow suit and proceeded to explain. "It's a place where magic exists and it's pretty fantastic. The youngest generations tend to do more at the time I'll be arriving though. For some reason, they're fighting an enemy." He said this just as he enters the large old granary building, looks around and sees the conveyor belts and machines that weren't taken before the granary was abandoned.

Troy listens intently. '_If he knows what's good for him, he should learn some more..._'

"This enemy seems to be of another origin... not from the Earth. They called it Neuroi. And... What's weird is... the world was mostly dominated by non-magic folk and protected by witches. Almost no sign of living warlocks and it bothers me. Who lives without warlocks anyway?"

"Warlocks, or wizards. They're only part of the world based on culture and beliefs, son. I think you know how to flex your beliefs even for a bit." Troy said this, as he followed Josh down a set of stairs. The stairs weren't hidden and were accessible to them both, and he was having a feeling the case isn't usually seen. "I got a feeling this granary was exploited. If those who raided this place didn't pick the machinery clean, then they must be after something else. According to the records, this place was decommissioned 3 years ago."

"…and forgotten," Josh said as he turned to a corridor reaching that corner. "The Witches were at least wise to cover the truth of their existence from non-magic's. Make sense if you want a population to avoid panic or placing mistrust. Doesn't make a difference now once Warlocks are being searched for a while now."

"Well you DID lead the charge against the Darks." Troy replied and chuckled. "…reckless as it may be, but effective. I doubt there were others in your place who'd do the right thing and defeat Ashfeld."

"He's a bastard who deserves to rot in the core of the Dark's ancient heart. At least he's experiencing what he deserves." Josh said that and stopped walking. "He was my friend. But he's devoted to an ideal that destroys the population with a plan that kills indiscriminately, whether the target is witch, warlock, or any other. I had to put him down… put a balance in this world as it should. I find it cruel, but I think it's the only reason why I'm like this now. A guy who kills his friends… and it makes him stained, being told he's just doing it for fun. Most who knew me wouldn't understand. So I quit explaining and walked away." Josh said this and kept walking, briefly sensing Troy had delayed to walk as the father was probably contemplating on what his son said. And Troy eventually catches up to Josh.

As Troy was being led to a basement room, blue magic runes marked on a wall were glowing. He spotted it together with Josh and they examined it. "Extending from the wall to the floor. Alaxair Runes. Looks like you arrived in the right place. This is the warp point."

Josh sighs and looks at his father. "One way, of course."

"What?"

"Look… It doesn't matter. It's not like I'd changed my mind I weren't gonna devise a way back."

"Now you're risking it, Josh! You're reckless in this, and you can't promise it to yourself that you'd fine warp runes from the other side!"

"They got some pretty good magic there, so I got higher chances of making one than locating it myself."

Troy groaned, glaring at Josh. "You're stubborn in this… What kind of witch would follow you back?! Remember the rule of these types of runes: The minimum requirement is that a witch activates it and it is she who gets to be a conduit for the transfer. That means… she comes with you to any world you set the rune's destination to, assuming you'd make a two-way rune unlike this one. Josh… I don't know if you can find a witch that skillful to help you."

Josh sighed. "I'll take my chances with the odds I've got, Dad. Now… Are you gonna help me or not?" He said this, looking at the rune and held his hands forward. Closing his eyes, his magic started to flow from his body, letting his hands slightly glow whitish-blue.

Troy chuckled. "One stubborn asshole having a stubborn son. I think I enjoy this." He then closes his eyes and puts his arms forward, letting his magic flow through the same as Josh is doing. "Let's dictate at the same time, son, and concentrate."

The both of them then recited a one-way warp spell in Latin: "Producat in lucem ac tenebras et aperire hoc modo mundus quia uno. Sit mihi magicae vires de tuo influunt per venas sanguine extinguitur. Haec mando vobis: ex Alaxair rune." Then as the rite is recited, the rune glows brighter. The two of them opened their eyes to find that the extended runes opened a gateway.

Josh smiled, seeing the gateway was finally open. "So… What exactly is-!"

Troy had no choice but to push Josh in immediately. As he saw that there were figures running into their direction, he had only to protect his son. His only regret is to see through his son's true beliefs. '_You better succeed and make this world at peace again if you can…!_'

As for Josh, he screamed, fearing for his father, falling into the gateway of blue streaks, seeing his father defend the gateway just until he saw the gateway was closing. Screaming his father's name, his only hope now was to survive, while he is accompanied by sadness. The pressure of the gateway was increasing and his journey took long. He looked towards the other end of the gateway, feeling like gravity is taking over but his vision was telling him he moved forward. '_Of all things I've experienced… it's this, taking too long that hasn't been done yet. How far is this world anyway?!_'

He wouldn't know that what reality he would step into, was a completely different reality…


	2. The way is clear

"The way is clear"

One bright day in Bruruil, the South Liberion Continent under territory of Neue Karlsland in 1945… a non-lethal explosion happened in one of the building complexes of a research compound. A blonde-haired late teen had her hair messed up with soot all over her once white scientific uniformed body. "Eh… You got to be kidding… So that was the kicker…" She muttered that to herself and removed the glasses on her eyes that were partly covered in soot. '_The new supercharger needs more magic allocation after all. But the magic input by itself uses the wrong spell charge. Jeez… I still can't get that completely fixed up…_'

The girl removes her lab coat, and she only has her Karlsland uniform. On a newspaper that was on a table near her was a headline that read that the Super Hive over Venezia has been eradicated. A pair of strikers that had open panels was seen at a nearby workstation she was working at. That's the surroundings of her work room.

The phone rang in the room and she decided to get it. Picking up the handset, she answers. "This is Ursula." She spoke with an almost flat tone.

"_Miss Hartmann! Good to hear your voice as always. How's the unit working out for you?_" A man in his forty's replied on the other line.

"Well, I guess you can say there's progress, but it's a little slowed. An overloaded supercharger. Nothing to hinder the development, but it's still needed."

"_Ah. Then I'll be sure to give you additional components._"

"Thank you, sir. We can't let what happened to Captain Barkhorn happen again. So much magic input, which also leads to suction. And we shouldn't forget there has to be extra restraint to the engine's intake even if there was a powerful output for the unit."

"_Eh. Maybe putting the Heavy Ordnance Cannon wasn't at all necessary. Do what you can on that design, Hartmann. That's the next line of jet strikers that you'll be producing and I'm counting on you to make this work._"

"You can count on me, sir." Ursula said this before gently putting the handset down. "Agh… This is hard work…"

And before she knew it while drowning in her work, Ursula found herself cleaning up her work station late at night. Sighing in relief, she only realized late that she had forgotten one other component she didn't install before her own prototype unit threw soot on her face. Shaking her head, she decided to drop out and call it a night. Working herself too hard would lead to problems, and thought of her health. And before she knew it, she was already asleep wearing her night gown.

Meanwhile, Josh was seeing the end of the gateway. '_Damn it…!_' "CRAP!" And he felt his body exit while he put his arms forward to prevent his head from getting hurt. Just as the momentum took over, he was flying forward and hit the kitchen cabinet, making noise on the silverware before his body lay still for a while on the floor before he grits his teeth in pain and attempts to get up.

Ursula was stirred awake by the sound coming from the kitchen, making her open her eyes and sit up. And making her vigilant, she let her magic flow, even letting her familiar features come from her head and her lower back… those ears and tail of a badger. She sat up and got off her bed, while walking barefoot to a table and picked up her gun and wore her glasses. "I have a feeling," she muttered to herself before headed out of the room.

That time, Josh was looking around. He identified the first location he got into was a kitchen, but the walls were what caught his attention. Were they stone walls? Unless the design of the interior is incorrect, he has no choice but to believe the kitchen is a special place. He sighs and gets to one exit of the kitchen. He looked at the corridors and saw how clean it was and how it looked grand. It was mostly a mansion from the surroundings of the wooden walls and polished marble floor.

Ursula narrowed her eyes and spotted her target from a distance. This made her a little upset. '_So security isn't very tight. Not to worry. He's mine._' Ursula decided to try and attack him, but she realized he could see in the dark. '_I think I have an idea._' She then hid and started to sneak. Her silent footsteps from her bare feet allow her to move without making a noise.

Josh, though he could see in the dark was very suspicious. He walked the corridor and looked further as he walked. '_This is definitely another place. But where am I?_' He then found another room with an unlocked door. He opens it slowly and sees the inside. There was a pair of armaments that's as long as the the normal person's measurement of thighs to legs. But what didn't get was why it was designed to be like an aircraft. He wasn't sure of it at first, but he recognized the paint and the feel of the unit. He then looked somewhere and saw a bed, recently touched with the sheet moved.

Ursula snuck behind the man and pressed her pistol gently on his back. "I suggest you don't make it harder than it is." She said this, examining his figure. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and blacdk tie from behind his black jacket with its rear extensions going up to his thighs.

Josh softly groaned and didn't move. "Funny I should tell you the same thing." He snapped a finger while reciting a mental rite. An electrical charge came to his assailant's pistol.

Ursula was partially electrocuted as her pistol had burned out, forcing her to drop the weapon and step back while deploying a shield rune to protect herself from more of the electrical charge. She looked at him and sensed there was electricity on his body, but was fading. And seeing the man turn around, she was looking at him carefully and realized he didn't have familiar features like what a witch should have. '_What…? Then what is-?_'

Josh turned around and looked at her, protected by a frontal shield rune. '_So that's how they're protecting themselves from those enemies._' He looked down and saw the burnt out pistol and identified its model. "Mauser-Werke." He looked at the girl who seemed surprised of what he said. "This is the 40's, isn't it?"

Ursula's surprise was fading as she adjusted her glasses. "You don't even want to run… much less knock me out." She said this just as she lets the shield she deployed, fade and disappear. "Should I be concerned?" She asked, before picking up her burnt out pistol. "…maybe you're here to act in espionage."

"Maybe. But I'm not here to attack anyone." Josh said this and looked into the room. "So that's the thing you use to fly. I only had a glimpse but… I get that this world is under threat."

"Mhm." Ursula approached him and was curious. "We should talk inside."

Josh and Ursula made the basic introductions and made conversation. She sat on her bed and he sat on a chair. After talking for several minutes, she's able to eventually understand him.

"A world where Warlocks and Witches exist in a wavering harmony…" Ursula rephrased his words from their conversation. "…and are in danger of warring against each other."

"I had specific reasons as to why I came here, Ursula." Josh said this as he looked at her eyes in a serious way. "Best you don't get involved. I have no quarrel against the witches in this world."

"But you came here anyway. So it concerns myself and witches." Ursula said this, removing her glasses. "I think you shouldn't pretend. You know as well as I do you've had an idea of how capable we all are in this world… fighting the Neuroi as we are now."

"You sure you wanna ask for that subject? Because you don't know what's at stake. I never even told you."

"I can make a good guess." Ursula glared at him. "It involves taking at least one witch to your world." She looked at his eyes and measured him. She took several seconds to see if there was truth to it, and he didn't look away while narrowing his sights. "That's the goal."

"You're full of surprises." Josh sighed and stood up from his seat. "There's no reason for you to get involved. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"WAIT!" Ursula spoke with a voice loud and firm while her head was down. "Where do you think you will go? Even if you find a witch powerful as you think who would help you in your own ways to prevent the war in your world or much less stop one, how would I know it would benefit us in the slightest?"

Josh grits his teeth and kicks a chair to knock it down. "That's how it is?! You want something in exchange?! Maybe you haven't realized it, but I had things happen to me before I went here!" He groaned and opened the door. "You wouldn't understand. You wouldn't know what to really sacrifice to get you this far."

Ursula closed the door and slightly pushed him away from him and was clearly upset. "How dare you?! Tch. I thought we understood each other."

"I thought I did too. Look… It's best we part ways. I can make it on my own and I can do my task effectively."

Ursula shook her head. "There's no assurance that we'd be benefiting from this! No. I'm not allowing you to just leave and take a witch of your choice without assurance from you. Please… we've lost lives here while we were fighting!"

"I got no time for this." Josh said before clenching his fists and got them to slightly punch each other by its knuckles, just before the fists glowed a whitish-blue color from his magic flow. "You don't want this fight, Ursula. Step out of my way."

Ursula lets her magic flow, slightly glowing with a blue outline on her body while she shows her familiar features. She glares at him. "No. You may as well bruise me well if you want to leave through that door. If I were my sister Erica, she wouldn't let you escape either."

Josh grits. '_Is she really just going to fight me with her nightgown and bare from her thighs?! Crazy!_' He snorts, knowing what would happen next. He maintains his fist still giving out that magic glow before he starts to walk towards the door. He saw Ursula walk towards him as well. "Have it your way." He suddenly punches with a jab and it was blocked with a shield rune from Ursula, before he punched a straight next. It was this time that she evaded his straight and grabbed his elbow, but he pushes his body forward to knock her off. He keeps walking and he saw her strong foot launched towards his face which he narrowly ducks under before turning to her, seeing her spinning as she tried another kick. This time, his hand caught her by her ankle. He sees her grit her teeth, with her legs held up like this and making her blush. "Give it up, Ursula. You're not stopping me."

"Then I'm not giving up either," Ursula was not fearful as she lifts her other leg off the ground and kicks his face this time.

Soon, two low-ranking witches were walking to a direction in the corridor where Ursula Hartmann's room should be. Their almost quiet conversation was interrupted when the door in front of them was suddenly take off its hinges as a man in a black jacket was thrown with the door. He hits the wall together with the door and lands on his feet but collapses. The witches were alert that time when they saw Ursula leave the room. "Hartmann!" The witches shouted together.

Ursula looked at the two witches. "You pilot officers should call up security over here now! I have a man here who needs to be detained for questioning!" And she saw the witches nod and run the other way while looking towards where Josh should be. Wincing, she finds out he wasn't there anymore. Looking around, she, with her keen sight, saw a reflected silhouette of a humanoid running the other way. "He's invisible?!" She muttered this and ran to the same direction.

Josh bursts out of the door from the building he was in and looked around, finding himself at a complex with a nearby runway. He looks around and takes sight of spotlights now active, searching the complex for him. He was breathing intensely, since his cloak would only work for so long while he has energy. '_Rotten luck… Maybe I should have been more considerate, but I got my own problems to deal with!_' He tried to run towards one of the paths leading out of the complex across the unused runway, but he was running out of breath. His cloak was beginning to wear off because of this.

A witch smirked, flying over the skies when she saw a figure moving on the runway, partially visible to her eyes, but it didn't fool her. "I have him." She said this briefly before diving down and narrowly leveling her flight to copy the ground. Heading for the partially visible man, she makes a sharp agile turn on the last moment to have her striker unit hit his head. This knocked the man off balance and force his cloak to wear off completely just as his body was thrown off through the runway. And seeing this, she equips her MP4 Submachine gun and hovered to the now unconscious man. "Looks like we got him!"

Ursula was running together with a squad of Karlslander soldiers, seeing Josh knocked out on the runway. But moreover, she saw a peculiar figure… a peculiar appearance like herself who's in a striker unit. "Erica?" She muttered this to herself. Sighing, she approached Erica who was hovering low. "Sister."

Erica smiled at her twin sister Ursula. "Looks like I got here on time. Thought I'd see you after the Venezia Hive was done for."

"Well… I don't know what to say…" Ursula frowned, looking at the unconscious Josh being turned on his belly and being given wraps behind his back before he was carried by one of the soldiers. "Erica, I need you to not be hard on him."

And Erica was seeing there was a certain alignment between Ursula and the man now being carried into questioning. Crossing an arm over the other, she narrowed her eyes on Ursula. "What have you gotten yourself into, sis?"

"Good question." Ursula sighed and was looking at the man carried into a building. "Sister… Can you try not to react so much? There's… something I need to tell you."

And from afar, a magic spell to let one see from far was being used to see Josh being carried into the building where he's going to be questioned. The eyes turned to the two blonde witches, one on the ground and one hovering in a striker unit. "Interesting conundrum." A teenage girl with an American accent said this to herself as she inspected the two. "So the plans are being accelerated then… Good to know." Getting off the tree branch, the shadowy figure leaps away into the darkness of night…


	3. Earn my trust

"Earn my trust"

Josh only remembered a few things when he woke up. His jaw was hurting. And it was only 10 minutes since he woke up when he realized he was tied behind a chair, with his legs bound as well. His head was down that time and it was lifted up. His eyes weren't fully opened when he felt another punch coming down to his face. '_That's gonna ruin me and my looks._'

Erica and Ursula grit their teeth, seeing that man being beaten for a while by the Karlslander soldier. Finally, Erica's had enough. "Soldier, you may leave. Now."

The soldier groans. "Ja." He simply said it and he left the room through a steel door.

Erica sighs and approaches the man who Ursula named as Josh Simmons. She was looking at Josh raising his head, probably wondering what he's thinking of doing next. Then when he looked at her, he chuckled at her. "I was wondering if there were two of you after all. Looks like I'm not crazy."

"You're not," Erica said. "Normally, I don't condone break-ins, but my sister told me interesting things. Hm. Who knew you can get a whole heap of trust from my twin?"

"Twin? Tch. Erica."

"Yup! I'm an ace, while she's a researcher!" Erica smiled and grinned. "I come from the 501st Joint Fighter Wing… The Strike Witches. We're the fighter wing that defeated the Venezia Super Hive."

Josh only raised an eyebrow in response. '_Venezia? Oh… I gotta get used to this world and its names now…_'

"But enough about us. I was saying before that I heard things from Ursula. And… I think she's got a big point, Simmons. You shouldn't just go around and pick, or kidnap a witch while bringing her to your world… no matter how she wants it. I don't know what she wants you to do here first, but I think it's a way of getting to know us and how we do things during wartime."

"…which is a waste of everyone's goddamn time!" He glared at her. "I told her not to worry about me, but she had to go and tell me that I should do something for this world in return. I told her… waste of time and effort!"

"_Maybe you shouldn't talk to me in the third person, Josh._" Ursula said that and he looked at her from behind the room while she approaches him and was in full view of his eyes. "You're a wanderer from another world whose goal is to take a witch into yours. I protest that because you don't understand what most of us witches were doing for around six years! When the striker unit was made, we were later given mandates to protect our home countries once we have an arsenal to fight the Neuroi. And the mandate changed to protect strategic positions and take back territory the Neuroi have taken from us via coordination with different militaries around the world. Do you know how hard we've all been through just to do that?! No, you don't. It's because you haven't seen it all!"

Erica was more or less surprised Ursula was speaking this way. She only smiled at one Ursula had been saying. '_Seems as if though her speech polishing skills are improving. Can't complain if she's a workaholic!_'

Josh lowered his head giving up. "So what's next for me then?"

Erica replied next. "You're gonna be talking to a big honcho of us witches from the Witch Corps. Air Marshal Adofine Galland is coming over soon and you're her main interest. You should be honored!"

"Great. I'm honored." Josh said that in a sarcastic tone and received a glare from Erica.

"Hey. Maybe start respecting her when she gets here?" Erica snorts after glaring at him before she walked out of the interrogation room.

Only Ursula and him were there and she spoke next. "Look… You've been given this bruising just because you pissed off a few soldiers. They're not trying to pry information from you on purpose, you know."

"Do you know what they said before I got here? 'Yankee Doodle hit his head and rolled off a cliff.' I think the guy who said that deserves that broken nose."

"Eh… But the headbutt wasn't that necessary." Ursula replied while grabbing a chair and sat down in front of him. "I'm not gonna lie and say that you're a completely good guy, but you gotta be given purpose and prove our trust first. It's… the way it works when it comes to newbies. I think others would agree on that too. And I think the Air Marshal has the same mind too."

"Fine." Josh reluctantly replied.

"Also… I'm surprised you didn't use your magic yet to bust yourself out. The binds you have on you now won't be much problem for you."

"I'd rather avoid inciting panic, Ursula. I'm not the type to initiate chaos and I'm not allowing myself to be the cause of it all. I'm just efficient in how I do things, and it really turned to shit. Clearly. Plus… I don't wanna build more mistrust. One of my plans WAS to make friends."

"Well you could have chosen to escape us instead."

"But I didn't. For all I know, I could make friends with the wrong people. It may as well be fellow magic folk I'd be friends with first. It helps me at least get a glimpse of what I'm dealing with." Josh said this and received a smile from Ursula. "What?"

"Nothing… just that I find you honorable, Josh Simmons."

"Wasn't always that way," he muttered that way. He then saw the steel doors open and two Karlslander soldiers walk in. "To the brig, eh?"

Ursula sighed, seeing the Karlslander soldiers untie him from the chair. "I'm surprised you're patient about this,"

"Yeah. I'd rather make sure I get to be a good boy than make a mess." He replied this before his legs were loose and he was pulled up to stand, still making sure he's tied from behind his back. They then start to force him to walk. "We should talk some time!"

Ursula nods at him before he's being taken away from the room. "Yes… We should."

It took days. Josh was patient and in the brig for most of his time. His blue shirt was what remained from what he's mostly wearing on him. '_So this is how it's always been if one's in the brig. Nothing to do… Just normal jail time. I guess there's nothing different from those times I got caught..._' Except it's different since there's a soldier on duty as a guard who usually gives him the newspaper articles that are necessary for updates. It was because of Ursula's request since she knows he isn't that noted on events around the world. There were times he is visited by Ursula for talks they both need. And during those times, he learned a great deal about witches in their world… such as using stored magic to cast spells and activate inherent abilities. The thing about inherent abilities is something Josh didn't have, but he heard a few witches from his world have.

Then came that day. It was six days after Josh was in the brig, fed, and clothed by himself after taking baths. He only wore a grey body suit that time when he was in the brig when there was a completely different person come through there. The brown jacket wearing woman in her twenties with black hair approached his cell. At that time, he was only sitting on his bed when he looked at his visitor. "Hello there," the young woman said. "I hope you don't mind, but I had other duties to attend."

Josh winced and was convinced this was the meet he was waiting for. He stood up from his bed and approached the bars as he looked at her. "Air Marshal Adolfine Galland. Been a while, but I can understand the timing."

"You must be Josh Simmons. Honor to meet you. I would actually meet the spell-making warlock who has an aim that is noble, but still is missing the point of doing something for this world in exchange for what he wants. I read the reports and it's unsettling enough you have a war to prevent in your world. But in any case, that's not supposed to be our concern. Our concern is the worth you have here." Galland explained this and looked at the nearby guard and nodded at him. She saw the guard approach the cell and use a key to unlock it. "You don't mind waiting this long?"

"I've had shorter sentences. Been a good boy for God knows how many times to prevent getting to a cell." Josh sighed as his cell door was opened. "And my day streak is reset again."

The Air Marshal chuckled a bit. "Follow me, Mister Simmons. A walk is something healthy for both of us."

It was the high morning and the two of them were walking in the grounds of the research complex. Galland then spoke. "The complex was built for a short year after the Neuroi started to make its presence known in 1939. There used to be a fewer number of buildings here, but research had to be done faster, which is why all of this was necessary."

"You all done a lot during the war. A single man… Ichiro Miyafuji. He made that striker unit possible. Ursula is only refining the invention further, with Miyafuji already out of the picture permanently." Josh spoke as if it was history he only read from a book. "Sorry. I must have spoken like I was reading that. I didn't mean to put emotional strain. I'm good at that."

Galland chuckled. "You love to be an asshole most of your life, don't you?" Then she looked up and saw striker unit formations being done. "Look up, Simmons."

And Josh looked up, seeing striker units were flying and witches were operating them. "Hm. I recognize the blondies any day."

"Ursula got another design working but it's still on its prototype stages. I'm letting them do formations just to see how responsive the magic jet engine is. There was an incident in relation to jet strikers… one that was related to excess magic suction. Like what you stated before… we all use stored magic energy. And the wearer of that striker unit had one day fallen unconscious and almost lost all of her power." Galland sighs before continuing. "Captain Gertrude Barkhorn is a fighter and officer of the Karlsland military, a witch, and a very disciplined hard head. I'm sure you can imagine the dedication she has especially when Karlsland fell to the Neuroi so easily from the beginning."

"Any soldier who abandoned a country inevitable to fall to an enemy of greater strength, if at possible of being helpless, would later feel as if they're obliged to uphold their duties if they want to return to their nation. I had a long distant relative do the same thing. He was a commando and didn't really care of the lives he's taken. Though not a warlock, he didn't really keep himself socially active. He just… went on and never stopped." Josh looked away from the formation practices at the sky and back to Galland who was leading him toward the complex hangars. "So where are we going?"

"I thought I'd interest you in looking at the striker unit prototypes that were finished and reproduced in few numbers. Some are Jet strikers, are Merlin Engine strikers. Those two have significant differences in case you don't know." Then she stopped just near the hangars. All of them were open for him to see, and she can see Josh is curious of each of the prototypes. The latest one towards one side was the prototype J7W Shinden. "That latest one is completed from one of Ichiro Miyafuji's late design submissions. Whether it's been delayed from submission on purpose or held away for security purposes is still beyond us. That prototype was recently fixed up after it's been recovered from battle, and this seems to be the only striker unit variant that exists. This is solely being modified for future uses. And it only agrees with full power on one witch: his daughter Yoshika Miyafuji, a Fuso witch who served as a medic in the 501st Joint Fighter Wing."

"The dedication in the arsenal… Goddamn…"Josh was amazed by how much work researchers and builders put up with the creation of these units.

Galland then changed the subject. "You know… If Ursula was indeed correct… You could have gotten yourself out of the cell." She said that and he looked at her. "But you didn't. Why?"

Josh looked at the units again, hoping he'd get help from the units to solidify his tone when he speaks. "I was curious."

"Hm. Of what, exactly?"

"I was curious to see how far kindness is portrayed here, and I got what I somehow deserved. Got punched by a few soldiers for headbutting someone, when all they did was insult me by stereotyping. But otherwise… The witches were more respected here than the soldiers of the military would be, except if those men had higher ranks, probably. It makes me feel that even if you get respect, you get grudges from those who give you a salute." Josh explained, and he continues further while he looks at Galland. "As a Warlock, I was ready to receive criticism from non-magic folk, but not as worse as getting stabbed by those who don't like magic users. It's the same with witches back where I came from. Nobody was the wiser. Probably because of the behavior this world's non-magic's have in similarity with mine, I think it would have been best if I get on their good graces and be on their side. Whatever comes to public opinion for you magic users is an important step in being appreciated through history. And I couldn't compromise that by breaking out."

Galland smiles at him. Not only was the reason deep enough, but he finds his attitude one of honor. "I'm more than impressed, Simmons. You'd safeguard the reputation of witches at this point, but sometimes that can't happen just to save lives. Remember… Even if witches are hated, we still have the responsibility to have a balance between keeping our actions favorable by the masses, or favorable by the number of lives we save. What the public says shouldn't completely influence our actions. Every result varies with what we do next." She then calls a nearby soldier and that grunt jogs to her carrying a folder and giving it to her. "Thank you." She briefly said it just before she handed it over to him.

Josh took the folder and saw the front tags read 'NUR FÜR DEINE AUGEN.' "Eyes only, eh?"

"Private." Galland said this and put a hand on his shoulder. "That's the rank you're given when you begin. You have something to choose when you open that folder, but it's only just for you. Information is clearly just for you to read and for no one else. Unless you decide it, you don't tell it to anyone else. You'll be choosing your unit, or just your supervisors in a nation's military. Just… be careful in reading as well. There are those who are currently off-duty but still appear on that list."

"Off-duty? Then why are they in here?"

"…because they're dependable and they travel places during their time off their official unit. Not to mention… they're the type who likes to not be far away from helping in the war. For example… the pair of Lucchini and Shirley. Now… Get back to me with a decision in 24 hours and be absolutely sure about it. Because I'll be sending the orders for transfer over when you do." Galland smiled at him. "Is that understood, Private?"

Josh gets in attention, holding the folder to his hips on one hand and saluting Galland with the other. "Yes, sir." He paused for a moment and put his hand down before he spoke. "Permission to speak freely, sir."

"What is it?"

"Did you… really put me a good word with Command? Because this sounds too big to put me past basic training. Never really heard about that being done before."

"I do that because I know there are certain people who can be reliable… if not by personality, then by reputation and skill. And clearly, you have what it takes. Ursula might not be your best opponent on hand to hand combat, so this is a good way to brush up on more training." Galland nods. "Good question as any, Private. I'll make sure to have your progress checked. Go out of line, and our deal's off. Your discharge comes with a warning that you shouldn't take any witches with you when you leave, and we'd observe you leave yourself through an exit rune you first used when you got here. But do your duties while you're in service and leave good records, and we'll see that you get your deal granted. This is as much as I can do. I understand you can't prevent a war between warlocks and witches at this point, but take my word for it: Earn. My. Trust. I hope that made it very clear." She sighs and looks at the units. "I'll be here for a while so you're dismissed, Private. And… welcome to the Witch Corps."

Josh salutes Galland again before turning back the way he came. Then as he was going to the building Ursula was working in, she already was waiting for him. "Ursula?"

Ursula smiled as she saw him come to her. "I heard you and Galland already had that talk."

"Got no choice but to stick for a while. Can't blame her if she needed my kind of good work first before I get what I want. Then again, I could always kidnap a witch." As he said that, Ursula poked him hard, two fingers to his forward. "Ow…"

"That isn't going to get you anywhere, dummy. So what do you have?" Ursula asked.

Josh was in Ursula's work place when he continued his message while she worked on the striker unit that was in the room. "You ever been in any fighter wing or squadron?"

"One. The 507th Joint Fighter Wing, formerly Suomus Independent Volunteer Aerial Squadron."

"And now the Silent Witches. Okay. Well… Galland intends to put me as a Private in a witch unit. Probably ground or combat support. What I got here is a list of witch units, by threes, twos, or a four-member squad. Maybe if you can tell me a few things about them, it could help me decide on which unit I'd take."

Ursula was surprised of this and stopped working for a bit as she adjusted her glasses. "You trust my experiences to influence your decision?"

"Why not? I'm in the military. And… Whichever I choose determines my destiny, right?"

"…only because the Air Marshal is giving you a chance." Ursula chuckled. "Well… There's one condition. If you're free later, I like us to spar. Hand-to-hand again." She blushed once she made her condition to him.

And Josh sensed it himself. "Something tells me it isn't just for doing me good. Sounds like a Round 2 to me."

"Would I be lying if I said it wasn't?" Ursula smirked and removed her glasses.

And in no time at all, the two were on a sparring arena in one of the buildings used for basic close-quarters training. No one else was using it, so the two of them were occupying the ring. Removing nothing but her swimsuit only to expose her legs and arms, she gets to the ring. Josh only had his pants and inner shirt on together with his socks as he stepped in.

Josh chuckled. "When it came to conditions, I didn't expect you to take me to a beat-em-up session."

"I only beat you because you were holding back, Private. But I'm asking you now." Ursula let her magic work through her body and looks at him with a glare. "Don't."

Josh bent his head left and right, feeling bones crack to loosen his joints. "I got no plan to. Expect to get hurt this time."

"After you," Ursula smirked before she jogged to him.

"Crap," he muttered to himself as got his hands up and moved forward on his Muay Thai stance.

As Josh kept his stance strong and Ursula sprinted to charge, Ursula would charge, spin and kick as she lets her body fly in momentum while he jabs an electric charge right at her at the same as her attack. The first hit never damaged both of them seriously, and they were on their sparring session by that time…

Josh had been reading the available units he could join in Galland's chosen witch units. The marked event for the date basis was the eradication of the Super Hive Of Venezia. He had to choose which unit he'd take for the duration of his armed forces service…

**_Freelance Unit – Lucchini and Yeager (limited)_**

**_Joint Fighter Wing Logistics – 506th Joint Figher Wing, the Noble Witches_**

**_Joint Fighter Wing Guard Detail - 506th Joint Figher Wing, the Noble Witches_**

**_Joint Fighter Wing Mechanics & Repairs – 503rd Joint Fighter Wing, the Typhoon Witches_**

**_Joint Fighter Wing Infantry Recon – 504th Joint Fighter Wing, the Ardor Witches_**

**_Freelance Unit - Edytha Roßmann (limited)_**

Each of the roles told in the list have their own set of responsibilities. Normally, he'd be working with teams when in Joint Fighter Wings, but he had to be careful in choosing the Freelance spots. He either has only himself, or two others.

And he needed to only choose one…

(The choices are open via poll on my fanfiction profile page now! Get voting!)


End file.
